Month: March 2011

I love taking pictures if you didn’t know that by now. 🙂 Photography seizes a moment– a split second in time that you can never get back. I love how I can look back at a group of photos, even if it was Lael just sitting around playing with her toys, and they will totally take me right back to that day and that moment. Photography is great like that.

Can I just say– what did we DO before digital photography?? You would take a picture and just HOPE that it came out alright, that the lighting was good, and that you looked decent in it! Now all you have to do is take it, check it, delete it if need be, and keep on clicking until your heart’s content. Aaah, modern technology.

Many of you have asked what kind of camera and software I use. Let’s start with the camera. I own a Nikon D90 and I love it. This camera has the capability of shooting 4.5 frames per second. That makes this momma very happy because I usually have a moving target. I use a 50mm f/1.4 lens and a 18-200 mm lens. The 18-200 mm is like a kit lens and a zoom lens all rolled into one. It’s the mac daddy. Trey surprised me with it for Christmas and I have enjoyed it so much. It’s quite a heavy piece of glass, but it’s totally worth toting around.

I always prefer to take my pictures in natural light without a flash and the 50 mm lens is great in low light situations. It’s also great for close-ups, and it creates that beautiful, natural blurred background that we all love.

Secondly, I have been asked about my software. I use Photoshop CS5 to edit my pictures. A good camera is a great start, but what you do with the pictures is the icing on the cake. Sure, my camera takes some rock star pictures, but they don’t really come to life until I edit them.

Today I’m going to share with you one of my favorite pictures and why it’s one of my favorites.

This picture is from my post on “a new room”. I took it using my 50 mm lens. I love this picture for many reasons. Here are a few.

1. The composition. Notice that Lael is not in the center of the picture. She is off to the side and she is looking toward the side of the picture that has nothing in it. The rule of thirds is in play here. When you are looking through your viewfinder while taking a picture try to imagine two lines breaking it into three sections. Place your subject on one of those two lines. It always makes for a more interesting picture and it is pleasing to the eye. Although this rule is great for changing up the monotony of subject centered pictures, it doesn’t have to be used in every single picture you take.

2. I love the light. The natural sunlight is coming through the window from the left side and it leaves a beautiful glow on her skin and in her hair. Also notice that there are minimal shadows on her face.

3. This picture is so clean, so crisp, and so clear. You feel like you can just reach out and touch those little tiny hairs on her body! She is clear, but the background isn’t. I love that. The 50 mm lens is great about doing that for you.

4. The rest of my love for this photo is left up to the fact that the subject is my baby and a little bit of Photoshop. 🙂 I love the chocolate, vintage color. It gives the picture a feeling, a mood, if you will. That’s what I love about editing.

I would love for you to link up and share your favorite photo! Share a picture that you love and write about why you love it. You don’t have to have a fancy camera or editing software to participate.

How it works:

-Copy and paste my button with the link back to ForThisChildiPrayed.net at the beginning of your post. (Simply copy the HTML in the scrolly box and place it in the “edit HTML” part of your blogger post.)

If you have questions or need help just leave a comment and I will try my best to assist you.

-Post your favorite picture. It can be of anything really.

-Link up below and a thumbnail of your picture will show up so that everyone else can see it and click on it! Please link up your individual post–not your entire blog.

Things are growing around here. My little girl, my belly, and some herbs. How’s that for a combination? It’s safe to say that life is in full bloom.

Reminds me of a maternity shirt my mom and I recently saw hanging in a storefront. It said, “Love in full bloom”. To which my sweet momma asked, “Can you imagine wearing that?”

Please take no offense if you own that shirt. I kind of think it’s cute. Be reminded of where she’s coming from. Back in the eighties I don’t think preggo graphic T’s stating that you were, in fact, in full bloom, were all the rage.

Anyway, I decided I wanted to plant some herbs this spring to have for the summer months. Top of the list was basil, cilantro, and mint.

I love fresh basil with pasta dishes.

What is guacamole without fresh cilantro?

And isn’t tea just so much nicer with a little sprig of mint?

I was happy to have my most prized little sprout help me plant our herbs in their pots.

Excited that I could encourage the desire she has to put everything in her mouth, I told her that she could eat the little mint leaf that she was picking.

Didn’t go over too well.

This weather… I wish I could just bottle it up, so I could bring it out when the winter’s cold seems so endless and the summer’s heat seems so exhausting.